Death toll from steelworks explosion in Türkiye rises to 18

The death toll from the 9 November explosion at the HABAŞ steelworks in İzmir, Türkiye, has risen to 18, RIA Novosti reports, citing the newspaper Cumhuriyet.

The explosion occurred at around noon local time and was followed by a fire at the plant. Firefighters extinguished the blaze.

According to a preliminary assessment by the governor’s office, the explosion may have occurred while molten steel was being cast, when a hoist broke loose and fell into an electric arc furnace. HABAŞ said the accident occurred during scheduled maintenance on one of the furnaces.